Many business users use groupware clients (e.g., Microsoft Outlook®, Lotus Notes®, etc.) for collaboration and communication. Business users may also utilize business applications for implementing business processes, such as but not limited to the applications of SAP Business Suite®. Such business applications typically execute within a business process platform having a dedicated user interface. Contemporaneous use of a groupware client and business applications therefore requires a user to switch between at least two user interfaces. Efficiencies may be gained by integrating a business process platform with groupware technologies in order to enable a user to access functionality of the business process platform using any standards-based groupware client.
In this regard, a user may choose from among several disparate standards-based groupware clients depending upon the circumstances under which the user is working. For example, a user may choose a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)-optimized groupware client when travelling but may prefer a richer desktop platform-optimized groupware client when at the office. The user may also prefer in some circumstances to install extensions (e.g., plug-ins) to his groupware client to enhance usability. A suitable groupware integration scenario may support groupware client functions that supplement commonly-available groupware client functions.
Mobile business users are presented with two usage scenarios. In one instance, an application server hosts online applications which are accessed by a client application (e.g., browser, proprietary client, etc.) for displaying user interfaces of the online applications. Use of these online applications requires a communication link that may be unavailable or sporadic, and may also require non-trivial configuration for establishing and securing the link. Offline applications, on the other hand, may utilize a framework (e.g., SAP Mobile Infrastructure®) that provides periodic synchronization with a back-end system. A user may therefore access an offline application without an active communication link to the back-end system. Offline applications may be costly to develop and maintain, and typically also require a mobile device to store some master data within a local persistence. This latter requirement imposes installation of a database as well as a component for managing access to the database.
Other business applications suffer due to their lack of integration with standards-based groupware. Current solutions to track groupware objects representing electronic mail messages, appointments, contacts, and/or tasks within business process platforms require duplicative data entry and/or rely on cumbersome interfaces.
For example, business applications may be used to centrally track electronic mail messages passed between sales representatives and their customers in order to provide a complete overview of interactions with the customer. After exchanging an electronic mail with a customer, a sales representative logs on to his CRM system and creates an electronic mail activity. The representative also inputs identifying information to describe the activity, and uploads the electronic mail message for association with the created electronic mail activity.
Tracking of customer interactions within a CRM system may also include tracking customer visits by sales representatives. Such tracking may proceed similarly to that described above with respect to electronic mail activity. These customer visits are also tracked and entered into the user's groupware client, either as appointments into his personal groupware calendar or meeting requests sent to the customer using functionality of the groupware client. The user must reflect any changes to the information in both the CRM system and the groupware client. If an appointment is scheduled in the groupware client while the CRM system is not available, the user must remember to update all relevant information once the CRM system becomes available. If an appointment originates in the CRM system, the user must reflect the appointment in his personal groupware calendar and send a corresponding invitation to the customer afterwards.
Business users require access to customer contact information to perform their business tasks. Contact information is stored in a back-end system and can be accessed via a user interface of a suitable business application (e.g., a CRM system) running on a business process platform. Acquisition of the contact information therefore requires a dedicated user interface and connectivity with the business process platform.
When the user is offline and wants to contact a customer, it is either impossible or inconvenient to log on to the business application to obtain the customer's electronic mail address or telephone number. Since business users also use groupware clients which provide for management of contact information as well as offline storage thereof, a user prepares for the above situation by manually maintaining contact information on his groupware client for all of his customers. This approach can be duplicative, time-consuming and error-prone. Moreover, the approach does not address changes to contact information that may be reflected on the back-end system.
Business users require efficient access to business reports. This access is typically restricted to users having access to an enterprise reporting user interface. The user logs on to the interface, enters report selection criteria, runs the report, and saves the report locally. If the report is to be used remotely, the report must first be transferred to a mobile device.
Request and approval scenarios offered by business applications may suffer from similar inefficiencies. For example, in order to request a vacation, a user first uses his groupware client to check his electronic calendar and the calendars of relevant coworkers. After deciding upon appropriate vacation days, the user logs on to a Human Resource Management (HRM) system to submit a request for the vacation days. With respect to approvals, an HRM system may notify a manager that a request is pending for approval. This notification may be sent via electronic mail. The manager must then log on to an approval system, review the request, and grant or deny the request.
Time reporting in conventional business scenarios may result in triple entry of business data. For example, an appointment or other calendar entry may be generated in a groupware client, and the data of the calendar entry is manually entered into a CRM system for tracking purposes as described above. The data of the calendar entry is then manually entered into a time reporting system in order to log the user's time.
Improved integration of groupware and business process platforms is therefore desired.